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As the insanity of 2020 kept increasing, most of my plans for reviewing music fell by the wayside, and many releases I meant to cover got completely skipped as result. So whenever the mood hits me, I’ll be posting reviews of music from 2020 that I loved and had intended to cover. Aural Canyon is by now well known for its soothing and serene forays into worlds of ambient, cosmic, and new age music, but amongst their discography, there are also excursions into the heavier, freakier, and more rock-oriented spaces, such as the rustic acid jams of Heavenish by Future Museums. Another example is the completely gonzo Surprise tape released by Galecstasy. Comprised of Raquel Bell and Primary Mystical Experience, the duo fuse sci-fi electronics, ecstatic vocals, and dynamic drumming into a shadowy storm of drug-laced experimentalism, with vibes of trip hop, space age bachelor pop, dub, kosmische, and free jazz shining through it all. Interstellar drones, equatorial organs, and whirling waves of alien synthesis are supported by mutant funk, stoner sludge, and solar skank basslines, while Bell sings with strength overhead…her voice flowing freely between snotty post-punk chanting, sweet lyrical serenade, sexualized whispering, and wild wordless babble. And at the center of it all, Primary Mystical Experience alternately dances across sparkling metals and tightly wound skins, or smashes, bashes, and crashes his kit into oblivion, with almost every track featuring a truly spellbinding drum performance that continuously morphs between hard hitting groove physicality and prismatic splatter psychedelia.

Galecstasy - Surprise (Aural Canyon, 2020) “Double Torus” introduces a vortex of phaser while crystalline pings fade in from silence. Oscillating laser melodies enter alongside bass distortions, while warming currents hover all around. A sense of serenity is slightly disturbed by strange subsonics and psychoactive tracer patterns, while elsewhere, synthetic evocations of woodwinds play to the dawn. Eventually, the pulsing phasers recede, leaving a new age oasis wherein cut-off filters open into a spiritual growl and gemstone electronics mimic bell trees. In “Color Wheel,” asymmetrical basslines set up a dub drum splash, wherein Primary Mystical Experience’s trapkit skanks and sizzles alongside solar organ chords while Bell coos overhead…her expressive lyricisms intermingling with group shouts as the track dives deeper into a sci-fi riddim jam. Buzzing synths call out to a Caribbean horizon, squiggling filters recall UFO landings, and during cavernous choruses, the mix reduces to blasting drums and earworm hooks chanted in desperation. Cacophonous fills threaten to rip the mix apart, only for everything to snap back into the stoner zoner groove, with aquatic organ layers wrapping around fusion solo scats. During prog jazz freak outs, the barest semblance of dub structure holds things together while blazing leads rush in from all directions…their tones wiggling wildly while tropical organs sing through the storm. The drums continue working around the groove as much as with it, and at times, the vocals disappear for extended dub rhythm and fried synth freakouts.

“Ferns” is the centerpiece of the A-side, and starts with hippie poetry and rainforest ambient before snapping into another dub rhythm flow, though this time the vibe is more ethereal, with jazzwise hat and snare flourishes intercut by dazzling fills. Most of the melody is carried by sub bass and layered vocal howls…these gothic chants and melancholy mantras that eventually lead into space age bachelor pad perfection, with keys wavering like a mirage, smokey Jessamine-style bass pianos walking on clouds, and organs that evoke an Arabian desert fever dream. Changing vibes, we then snap into a section of deep and druidic fantasy pop, with evocations of Broadcast coming through in the paradisiacal vocal spells and spooky layers of electro-psychedelia emanating from the Ghost Box. Returning to the pleading dub verse, chords like crazed birdcalls sit beneath the vocals and liquid basslines dance aside a dopamine drumkit drift. Then, the mix gives way to an extended passage of controlled rhythm pyrotechnics, with Primary Mystical Experience letting loose self-contained eruptions that are interspersed by lounge piano runs and slip-sliding bass. Continuing to evolve, the track then breaks down into a midtro of piano chords and ghostly vocal ambiance before the drums resume their slow, stoned, and overblown ceremonial, which is eventually joined by smoldering bass bursts…the whole thing like some low slung, supremely stoned, and increasingly shambolic funk jam. And just when you think it’s all going to fall apart, the duo offer yet another dramatic shift, with electronic drums dropping shadowy hip hop beats and smokey jazz chords underlying an angel of the night as she sings her amorphous incantations. At some point the acoustic kit returns and brings the groove back into some semblance of shape, though the vibe is increasingly free and splayed out, with basslines singing vocal lyricisms high on the fretboard and pianos transmuting into a cosmic slop.

Burning ambiance surrounds a boom bap beat in “Lizard,” with cymbals spreading out like waves of fire and tight hi-hat, snare, and kick patterns giving way to tom fill meltdowns. Dissonant yet soothing soundscapes of mysterious origin pan back and forth and synths are reduced to pure astral texture, while trip hop basslines move menacingly in the distance…their tones felt more than heard as they bop on the beat. Blurred leads and fever dream melodies swim at the periphery, and the focus always stays centered on the awe-inspiring layers of drum fill terrorism, with the performance eternally tethered to a deep and doped out groove, yet travelling further and further out towards manic bombast as the track progresses. And at the end, the drums cut away dramatically, leaving behind seed shakers and oceanic atmospheres. “RMX” sees funereal electronics descending over droning chords and their tones of seasick majesty. Added to this mix of buzzing seance synthetics and sinister electro-incantations are shadowy pillows of bass and a potsmoke smothered trip hop drum anthem, with splashing rides giving off golden glitter, snares snapping and cracking, and trap-leaning bass drums moving on and off the beat. Yet as soon it forms, the track filters into subterranean darkness, until nothing remains but pounding filter bass. The A-side ends with “Pendulum,” which is a short piece of reverberating spectral bursts, primitive space synthetics, and granular noise atmospherics, with rapid pitch modulations accelerating first into a maddening buzz, then into an unholy scream that disperses in a flash of ping pong delay.

“Window” opens the B-side with a rush of fills before transitioning into the groove, which quickly slows to a dopamine crawl. Octave basslines and pounding trapkit mutations vaguely recall Stereolab’s “blah” and Bell’s voice returns in full force as it combines sweet serenades and bewitching howls according to some anti-melodic dream logic. Descending synthesizers bring to mind robotic birds as the drums barely hang onto the groove, and at some point the kit explodes completely while blackened synth chords blare into focus. Bell’s voice grows increasingly mantric and evil…like some priestess chanting forbidden spells over a far out freak drum jam. Swirls of golden light thread through bodies of burning smoke and eventually, the waves of dissonance take a turn towards sunshine radiance while a diva calls out to the spirits of the sky. All the while, snare and tom fills rip the mix apart, only for the duo to snap back towards druggy octave groove perfection. “Hop Woo” follows with a soundbath of static and noise, as harsh textures are repurposed for spiritual communion. Tones slowly mutate in pitch and generate psychotropic visions before flowing back into narcotizing harmony, with longform phaser motions and filters opening into white light. Next is “Body in the Stream,” a sort of dubwise downtempo dreamscape that chops and screws “Color Wheel” into a vaporwave remembrance of its former self. Slushy electronics and syrupy vocals are stretched into a sonic molasses and basslines are reduced to a deep earthen hum, while piano chords smear across the spectrum and drums hit with the force of shadow.

“Advanced Civilization” was among my favorite tracks of 2020, and begins with soundclip chatter, lulling bass loops, and repetitions of the track title. Then comes a pitch-perfect lounge psych groove out, with airy drum beats and jazz rock rock flourishes underlying Bell’s purring vocal warmth, as well as the soaring violin performance of Justin Scheibel. Polychrome 60s keyboard accents a buried in shadow and the rhythms assume an infectious swing, with basslines ambulating up and down with a touch of dub fluidity. It’s all so remarkably simple, yet deeply affecting as it sweeps my heart into a cinematic pop paradise—one that recalls strongly for me Vanishing Twin—even as Bell evokes a young Jaquee McShee with her cooing layers of jazz vocal mesmerism. At some point the singing swaps with the “Advanced Civilization” loops and all the while, a spectral keyboard solo proceeds in the background, adding textures of haunted steel pan exotica. Then, during a completely entrancing violin solo, bowstrokes of slow psychoactive delirium move into rapid-fire patterns of Henry Flynt ecstasy, or alternately dart, dash, and soar like Sophie Trudeau in Valley of the Giants. Layers of shining string skree flow forth in cloud of minimalist magic and the groove continues to slowly unfurl in the background, with starscape synths sitting above an improvised explosion of rhythmic force. And from here, we settle into a sort of lackadaisical and violin-led acid jam of bashing rhythms and subdued space electronics.

At the end of the tape sits “I Erase” and its pulsing wavefronts of organic warmth…as if a kosmische energy field is vibrating into existence. Technoid machine cymbals sketch out maddening patterns as an intergalactic angel sings, and all the while, drum beats grow rapidly in the ether, with chain off snare rolls and fourth world tom tom tribalisms accented by harsh cymbal strikes. There’s a blurring of the acoustic and electronic as the drums refuse to assume any semblance of a defined form, instead preferring to executed a fairy fantasy dance that only enhances the magnificence of of Bell’s diva dreamspells, and of the ambient cloudforms flowing all around the body. After a false ending of rhythmic whispers and drums popping gently into silence, the oceanic atmospheres of organ ambiance resume their deep space aria, with vibes of early Klaus Schulze shining strongly in the mix of primitive galactic electronics and chaotic drum psychedelia. Laser blasts, silvery starlight oscillations, and mutating modulations dance together while leads sing strange extra-terrestrial songs, and during a climactic finish, chest rattling basslines join free jazz drum splatter over a heavenly haze of sonic sunshine.

Future Museums is a continuously morphing collective of psychonauts based loosely in Austin, TX and led by generous soul and adventurous sonic explorer Neil Lord. Whether operating in modes of stripped down ambiance and new age solo drift or expanding into a full on acid rock orchestra, the music of Future Museums is distinctly unified by vibrations of healing and a search for otherworldly bliss…something that is more apparent than ever on Heavenish, the newest Future Museums cassette released by Aural Canyon. The album was recorded deep in the Texas hill country and according to the liner notes, “emerges as the product of days of microdosing LSD, wandering trails lined by mesquite and live oaks, shooting cans and bottles off of fences with pellet guns, and embracing nuanced moments of simple yet profound friendship.” These atmospheric settings and connections of the spirit imbue the music with sense of wondrous nostalgia, one that is heightened by the tape’s artwork, which features shots of the band wandering through the wilderness…only as if seen through a daydream haze of pink and purple. And for this particular journey, Future Museums operates as a five piece, with guitars, bass, drum machine, and Rhodes generating psychosonic energy fields and celestial vibrations that range across acid-soaked desert rock, outsider jazz ambiance, electro-freak folk, fourth world shimmer, and abstracted drone experimentation.

Future Museums - Heavenish (Aural Canyon, 2019) Tom toms pop into the void in “Gnawed On,” while a bass guitar grooves in counterpoint. Liquid guitars riffs descend, snares crack through the murk, and cymbals dance across the spectrum as vibes of eastern-tinged 60s psychedelia flow above primitive electro rhythms. Wah wah atmospherics suffuse the background…as if sheets of filtering guitar are being woven into a burning curtain of light and there’s a touch of The Doors perhaps, as well as The Black Angels, with the Future Museums ensemble swaying together, eyes closed, through a desert rock wonderland. Jangling chords ascend towards the sky via clean slides and sunshine glides and at some point, a dreamscape guitar solos melts over the mix, with fluid fretboards movements and blissed out melodies paying tribute to Conny Veit, only as if tripping acid in the Texas wilderness. The adventurous electro-rhythms are increasingly embellished with phasing woodblock textures and psychosonc click fx and the basslines lock into exotica motions and snake charmer dances, with everything coming together to evoke imaginary worlds of mirage magic and mystical meditation (and thus pulling my mind towards The Alps’ III). Towards the end, it all seems to glide towards stasis, until the only things left are bass guitar meanderings, simplistic tom-tom rhythms, and barely there guitar ambiance. And just as it appears to end, a smooth as silk drum fill cracks through the air, returning us once more to the soft focus paradise of acid rock mesmerism and ethereal guitar exploration.

“The Magic of Turning” begins with abstracted bass guitar weirdness…like some pool of interstellar fluid bubbling beneath urgent ethnological percussion and chiming guitar radiance.  Starlight electronics are stretched into infinite strands while Rhodes riffs are transmuted into sci-fi bleeps and sparkling gemstones that flit discontinuously about the stereo field. Polyrhythms roll through echo chains and ecstatic hand drum samples plush the mind towards trascendence while feedback currents subsume the mix then fade into nothingness. The track has honestly beguiled me for weeks…hinting at some esoteric combination of influences that are hovering just out of reach and in the end, the best I can come up with is some miasmic merging of early Popul Vuh, Ash Ra Tempel B-sides, Jackie-O Motherfucker, Sun Ra, Charalambides, and Nuno Canavarro’s work on Mr. Wollogallu. Guitars wail into the void or sparkle like diamonds while elsewhere, six strings approximate the motions of liquids as squelching bass synths drop touches of mutant acid. Futurescape chimes and melancholic melodies blur into indistinction, spirits of the cosmos converse across galactic distances, and e-pianos and synthesizers progressively devolve into outerspace detritus…like snippets of morse code beaming in from another dimension. Things keeps spreading out as the track progresses until a sharp transition changes the vibe completely, with the hand percussion now reduced to a whisper, gaseous bass energies pulsing with sinister intent, and new age chimes flowing into a black hole mist. 

The intro of “Infinity Pools” shares a close kinship with the work of Visible Cloaks, especially their recent collaboration with Yoshio Ojima and Satsuki Shibano. It’s a sonic world wherein sampled voices and hovering fourth world atmospheres surround scraped guitars and cosmic synthesis…a narcotizing stretch of ambiance evoking the titular infinity pools as they spin at the heart of the universe. Bass riffs emerge alongside ghost rhythms constructed from panning hand drums and soft-focus tambourine taps, which turn the song towards a spaced out ethno-drift, wherein guitars weave shambolic webs and Rhodes keys sparkling through the fog. Deep droning voices sing through spectral filters as guitar plucks are reduced to fractal melodics and eventually, gated reverb snares and industrial kicks usher in a cycling hypno-groove. Everything proceeds in slow motion, with synthesizers screaming across the sky and glowing chime melodies dancing on clouds. The e-pianos take center stage as they sparkle and glimmer amidst the smashing rhythms and aqueous guitar layers, all while the bass guitar works itself into a stoner trance…pulsing endlessly into realms of fantasy. The atypical time signature gives everything a touch of alien jazz exotica and in that sense, I’m reminded of the more ambient work of Circle, especially Miljard, with perhaps a bit of Cocteau Twins sprinkled throughout. And in something approaching a slowburn climax, EBow solos arc across the sky…their melodies awash in melancholia and wailing desperately over cyclical space fusion hypnosis.

In closer “Lithograph,” guitar swells mimick muted brass as clattering strings echo outwards. Calming swells overlap and create gentle resonances that seem to float the soul…all while the body is immersed in mysterious ambient atmospheres. Dissonances hover, feedback layers coalesce into vibrato delirium, and bass synths smolder softly in the background while occasionally, subsonic energy fields swell in strength before dispersing into a haze of delay. Distorted sonics smear overhead into a blurred tapestry of sorrow and shadow as doom riffs are reduced to a gaseous breath and there’s no groove to attach to…no pulse to hold onto…aside from arhythmic guitar clatter and pulsating bursts of static. The whole thing is like floating amorphously though cosmic oceans, wherein waves of darkness are countered by all-to-brief flashes of warming light. Feedback textures swirl into spiral tracers before devolving into interstellar noise while elsewhere, guitars mutate into swirling loops, alien frog croaks, sci-fi computations, and rainforest insect chatter. We continue gliding and gliding through ominous worlds of drone wonderment, with bass sequences bouncing through cosmic corridors and any sense of physical orientation disturbed by sub bass filter swells and burning waves of fuzz. As the song moves towards its conclusion, everything begins decaying and crumbling into dust and by the end, all that remains is metallic shimmer looping into silence.